In many medical or dental procedures, it is often desirable for the medical professional to wear a mask over the mouth and nose. Typically, face masks are made of a filter material that will filter contaminants that are atomized, form an aerosol, or that are contained in the air, as well as liquid particles or liquid splashes. Masks are particularly beneficial in a dental office where high speed drilling devices, such as those used in many dental procedures in the mouth, which often causes the spread of liquid and other particles from the mouth into and throughout the air. This is additionally exacerbated by the requirement for a dental professional to work relatively closely to the patient's mouth in most dental procedures. The use of a face mask protects both the patient and the medical professional in preventing cross contamination between the patient and the medical professional or care giver.
There have been many different types of medical face masks developed in an effort to better protect individuals from contracting illness and disease. One such mask is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,369 entitled “Folded Cup-Like Surgical Face Mask and Method of Forming the Same” issuing to Aspelin et al on Jul. 27, 1976. Therein disclosed is a cup shaped surgical mask formed from a filtration medium that has angularly disposed foldlines. Another filtering face mask is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,796 entitled “Methods of Forming Fibrous Filtration Face Masks” issuing to Kronzer et al on May 3, 1994. Therein disclosed is a cup shaped non-woven fibrous shaping layer for a filtering face mask that is shaped by heating the non-woven fibrous material. Another face mask is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,925 entitled “Face Mask With Enhanced Seal and Method” issuing to Reese et al on Dec. 9, 1997. Therein disclosed is a face mask providing a filter body that is formed of multiple layers of filtration material with a plurality of pleats. Tie straps attached to flaps extending from the filter body form a fluid seal between the periphery of the mask and the wearer's face.
While these face masks have all been helpful in providing a face mask for use in many medical procedures, they are often uncomfortable and relatively difficult to breathe through. Additionally, the restriction on the free flow of exhaled air often causes warm, moist air to flow upward towards the user's eyes. In many applications where a user is also wearing eyewear, a face shield, glasses, or goggles, the upwardly directed moisture laden exhaled air often results in condensation or fog to be formed on the cooler eyewear, face shield, glasses, or goggle surface, obscuring the user's view. This is especially problematic in the dental profession where eyewear, face shields, glasses, or goggles are often used, as well as other visual aides used for working closely within a patient's mouth during a dental procedure. Therefore, there is a need for an improved medical face mask that is comfortable to wear and results in easier breathing therethrough, including preventing fogging of the user's eyewear, face shield, glasses, or goggles.